Like No One Ever Was
by CaptainPiika
Summary: There's just something about that Ketchum kid that really makes him a Pokémon Master. A collection of drabbles and oneshots from the Pokémon's perspective. Currently on: EP010
1. PIKACHU

_AN: Welcome to the collection that is Like No One Ever Was. I've been a longtime fan of the animé, and have recently started watching it over again from the very beginning. I see a lot of "series remakes" in other fandoms, but not too many here. (Then again, I haven't looked for a while...) Since rewriting the entire series would take way too much time, I've decided to devote my time to short snippets of what really interests me - the Pokémon. _

_Anyway, without further ado, Pokémon! I Choose You!_

* * *

**PIKACHU**

* * *

"Great. My life just can't get any better than _this_."

I'd said that to myself maybe ten minutes after he had tied me up. I still remember the rubber gloves, fluorescent pink and ugly as sin, gripped tightly around the thin length of whatever cord he had in that bag of his. That's an image I'll never forget.

Maybe I'd had it coming. I was me, after all, the popular little prick who had a bit too much confidence for his own good. It was high time someone struck me down from my pedestal. And who better than some eccentric old guy who wasted no time in making me the subject of his latest haiku?

Why had I wandered away from the rest of the group, again? To show off? I don't even remember. I should have paid more attention, though; it's not exactly a boost for your pride when you get caught just 'cause you weren't looking. Meh.

Either way, I wasn't in the professor's possession any more. Nope, I belonged to a ten year old kid. Was that any better? Maybe? Who knows? It sure didn't seem like it at the time.

For one, this kid did not pay attention to anything in school. I was amazed he knew how to walk. I mean, really, who doesn't know that Rattata steal food? That's common knowledge out in the woods. He was struggling, and it showed. He asked for my help, but… _nah_. Why would I help this kid? I would gain nothing.

So when the little pocket machine began spewing nonsense about wild Pokémon being jealous of trained ones, I was pretty confused. Was that the real reason that Spearow took a dive for me? I sure as heck didn't know. Ash seemed to think so.

We ran, but flying is faster and the birds caught up. Before I knew it Ash had scooped me up and jumped off a cliff, landing in the water. I'm pretty sure I blacked out for a bit after that. I'd blame all the water that ventured unexpectedly into my lungs.

Eventually I found myself hurled through the air. I landed harshly, my battle bruises whining in protest. Karma had come for me today, I knew it. Rain poured into my wounds. The sodden road was my deathbed along with the poor, naïve kid's. A bicycle lay to the side, one wheel still spinning; where it had come from I could only guess. All I dared watch was the sky, darkening with the shadows of Spearow after Spearow.

And then there was Ash.

I was too delirious to make out much of what he was saying. He placed my mechanical prison, a red and white sphere beside me. I think he was urging me to get inside. Did he think it was safer in there? There was no way it was better. It was even darker inside than it was out.

He stood up, his arms outstretched. He yelled at the Spearow as they inched closer and closer, ready to shoot right through him if they had to. Why would he do something so foolish? He could still run, into the woods to the side. What kid wouldn't try and save his own skin?

It was then I realized he was doing it all for me.

Me, his little jerk of a Pikachu.

I'd treated him like dirt since we'd met. I'd been as uncooperative as I could muster. Had I been in his place, I'd have given up ages ago. But he didn't. Ash didn't give up.

He was willing to risk his life to save mine.

That was all I needed to snap me out of my half conscious stupor and fill me with adrenaline. I felt myself run, shooting up his back quicker than I thought possible. I took a leap and unleashed every ounce of electricity I carried within me.

It was too bright to see what happened next.

I was back on the earth when it was over. Ash was, too. I couldn't see any birds, but the bicycle had been reduced to a charred mess. I noticed he was stirring and gave him the biggest smile I could manage.

"We beat 'em," he said, also smiling.

And as Ash looked toward the rainbow in the sky, I knew. The journey had just begun, him and I, out on adventures grander than we could ever imagine.

My life really _couldn't_ get any better than this.


	2. MEOWTH

_AN: While I plan on using Ash's Pokémon to narrate, for the most part, there are certain Pokémon that I just can't ignore. Meowth is one of them. Aside from being my personal favourite character, he's got a ton of hidden depth I wish more people would explore. Anyway, enjoy the drabble for _Pokémon Emergency!_._

* * *

**MEOWTH**

* * *

It had begun like any other night. The air was fresh, we were young, and the view from the balloon was both terrifying and beautiful. Because of the way the moonlight hit us, out faces were shadowed. Admittedly, it made us look a bit more ominous than we really were. But that's not important!

All I had in mind was becoming top cat. I knew I was well on my way, being a super rare talkin' Pokémon and all (as much as that bugged me – and still does), but the fact of the matter was that we were new on the job and needed to prove our worth. And hey, we were getting there; there was a wanted poster and everything!

We'd pulled a few heists already, and I'd say even if our names weren't well known our presence was. People were keepin' off the streets and being extra cautious with their Pokémon after word got around of some suspicious lookin' thieves. That said, they weren't too bright, either – the Pokémon Center became ripe for the picking because of all the paranoid people puttin' their Pokémon in a "safe place". Would've made our job a whole lot easier, let me tell you, if it hadn't been for that annoying boy… and you, Pikachu.

I wasn't even supposed to get involved with the thievery tonight. Nah, that was a job for lowly minions like Ekans and Koffing. _I_ was supposed to stand there with my mouth grinning wide, practicing my purrs for the boss's lap while J and J laughed beside me. Y'know, because I'm the villain. The greatest-most-famous cat of all time!

(Well, I _will_ be, one day.)

But I guess that day is not today, because you had to come in and mess it up. I'd have been peachy pilfering Pokémon, minus you, but you wouldn't have that. You could've slept through the entire show, you know that? You could have avoided us for the rest of your life. Serves you right.

…I don't think you realize how special you are, Pikachu.

That kid couldn't be three steps out the front door in terms of how long he's had a Pokémon. You can tell; he's more scrambled than Jessie and James combined and jumps at everything that could possibly catch him off guard. But then you spoke to him, and told him what he needed to do. And he listened.

It was a simple request for power. Very vague and generic, really. Had it been me, I would've looked at you funny because what the hey. You don't just ask a guy to give you power and expect him to follow through. I mean, look where that got me. But the second you spoke he understood you. He got on that broken bike and pedaled as hard as he could. He powered you up.

He understands you.

…I'm not even going to tell you about the sinking feeling in my stomach.

Because it's pretty unfair for you to be able to do that without breaking every bone in your body in the process, without giving up any chance of normalcy. And it's equally unfair that he can look at you and know, and have the heart to do something like that for you. And it took me forever to find two people I could trust, but you found this kid the day of his journey. And I can barely pull of a flurry of fury swipes, but you're strong enough to blast us to the moon or bust.

And that is why I must capture you. I need to break this bond of yours before it becomes unbreakable. Because… because I'm top cat, and that's that. Try and stop me, if you dare. I'm never giving up. We're never giving up.

And so we begin our eternal game of cat and mouse. Which role I play, I don't know. You're no ordinary Pikachu, and your trainer's no ordinary twerp.


	3. CATERPIE

_AN: I think this goes without saying, but I took an extra week or so to do this one because of Black and White 2. I enjoyed it. It was great. I am currently working on my Pokédex, because I am one of the insane people who enjoys such a thing. Anyway, without further ado, it's episode three: Ash Catches a Pokémon!_

* * *

**CATERPIE**

* * *

I guess I've never been the most popular guy…

Okay, I know I haven't. I'm the bottom of the barrel, dweebus maximus, and lamest bug to ever crawl the earth. "Gee Caterpie," they say, "can you be any dorkier?"

It's not my fault I'm a fully-grown adult and still haven't evolved. Everyone else is so strong, how could I possibly hope to catch up? That was what I used to think, anyway. After a while I'd learned to accept my fate, and it hardly ever crossed my mind any more. Unless there was a hot girl around. That usually reminded me pretty quick.

…ahem.

I didn't think today was going to be that different, because to a point, it had been exactly the same. Wake up, find food, and eat; the instruction manual of the ages. But as we had been told throughout our childhood, there was always the possibility that you could find yourself caught and your whole life would turn around. Today, that happened to me.

Today, I was caught by one Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town.

Today is the happiest day of my life.

…I know that sounds pretty lame, and maybe it is for some people. But for me, it's literally a dream come true. Ash may be a kid, and he may not be all that smart, but I saw the look on his face when he saw me. He wanted me. To him, I was desirable. Something of value. That doesn't happen to most Caterpie, let alone a lowly insect such as myself. It just makes me feel so happy that I could give a kid like Ash a smile that big… Even if everyone else still thinks I'm gross.

Girls don't like me. I've accepted that. Kind of.

Not really…

Carrots, peppers, and bugs. Just my luck I'd be one of the three most disgusting things on the planet. And here I thought human chicks dug butterflies…

Well, whatever. I know I'm weak and squishy and everyone crawls all over me. I'm not very popular and I can't get a date. But you know what?

If I stick with Ash, I'll get wings. And getting wings means that one day, I'll be able to fly through the sky with the moon.

Honestly, that's good enough for me.


	4. PIDGEOTTO

**PIDGEOTTO**

* * *

Pidgeotto are birds. Caterpie are worms. Birds eat worms.

Hey, I was just hungry. There's not much more to it than that.

At least I get free food? As long as I don't eat the bug?

…Well, okay.


	5. BULBASAUR

_AN: A thousand apologies. I got a bunch of DP boxsets as gifts, which made me want to write about Chimchar. I'm back, now, though, and these next three are episodes I know by heart. I had the starter arc on VHS, man, this is my thing. So, here you are: EP010: __Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village__!_

* * *

**BULBASAUR**

* * *

I never liked trainers.

I always told myself I wouldn't get caught. I'd seen enough of the trained life during my short time in the city streets to know it didn't suit me at all. I wasn't one to let myself get pushed around. I was rough and tough, a natural-born leader. Bulbasaur.

Of course, the kids always had a way of getting to me. I had to stick up for them whenever they were bullied, and I got a reputation as a bodyguard (or, as some liked to call me, "the babysitter"). In particular, I had a soft spot for Oddish. Together, we found the Hidden Village and Melanie, and for a long time we both thought that she was the only decent human around. I became the protector of the village, and I didn't let anyone get hurt. It was years before I met him.

That kid and his friends gave me a horrible first impression. Ganging up on Oddish like that did not scream "kind and virtuous" or anything of the sort, nor did their exclamations of "I've always wanted one of those!". After beating their Starmie and Butterfree easily, I thought we had seen the last of them, but apparently they followed us. They were just that determined to get their hands on Oddish, I guess.

Poor, sweet little Oddish. She couldn't hurt anybody, so why did everyone seem to want to hurt her? The girl in the group tried to give her an insincere apology, but I saw right through it. Trainers never cared about anything but being strong.

Humph. Being strong. What an overrated ideology.

Once that gang of crazy baseball fans (or whatever they were supposed to be, standing up on top of that weirdo flying stadium) tried capturing everybody, though, I was surprised. The gang fired up some kind of vacuum contraption, trying to suck up everybody in the village. The humans carried most of the Pokémon to safety, save one.

Oh, Oddish.

I grabbed her with a vine whip, because nobody else was going to do anything, but unfortunately, that put me in danger of being sucked up as well. But that trainer, the one with the Butterfree, he ran right out of Melanie's cabin and pushed me against the pull of the vacuum as hard as he could. He did. Not the girl who pretended to concern herself with Oddish's feelings, Ash Ketchum.

Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. Bulbasaur of the Hidden Village. Maybe I had misjudged him. He _was _only a kid.

The stadium was blown away, never to be seen again, and the crisis was averted. Once again, the day was saved, but it wasn't just because of me this time. No, for once, somebody else decided to be a hero.

Heh.

We battled, because I'm stubborn and Melanie knew I'd rather put up one last fight. She knew, just like she also knew that if I stayed, Oddish and the others would depend on me forever, and I'd never be able to live to my full potential. I was too good of a bodyguard, so she said. Either way, I battled Pikachu, and lost. It was a fair fight. I was caught.

I never thought that after years and years of the same life and the same feelings, my world would get flipped upside down. But hey. Stuff happens. Today I learned not to be so judgemental.

Maybe tomorrow I'll learn something new, too.


End file.
